Dance discourse is undergoing a slow but steady make over. Wherever one
goes, one sees added energy to dance presentations. The commentary has
improved greatly. Introductions, punctuality, program notes,
contextualization. Dance Discourse.

Mumbai first: For a city where many felt in this century (2001 onwards)
classical dance almost was on its last legs as patronage had declined
and most veterans were past performing actively, an over-bearing
presence of films and TV - loosely called Bollywood - didn't help and
also dominated. Now there is a sense of revival and survival of the
fittest. After the veterans had had their performing careers for 50
years from post-independence to last decade, there was a lull and
slowing down of classical dance eco systems. Organizers were few; only
some dancers survived and by and large, those waiting in the wings
didn't get a chance. Only 2 or 3 established institutions even produced
dance or students.

NCPA has done yeoman service to promotion of dance in the last few
years. Their calendar is fulsome. Nalanda does its own in-house talents,
a large pool of students and teachers. The generation (in the age group
50 to 60+) that has now come of age professionally are Daksha
Mashruwala, Uma Dogra, Uma Rele, Sandhya Purecha, Jhelum Paranjape,
Sunanda Nair and Vaibhav Arekar. These are the happening classical
dancers of amchi Mumbai today, who are active, visible nationally and
committed. All are keeping the flame alive and taking a tradition
forward.

Daksha Mashruwala

Sandhya Purecha

Uma Dogra

Payal
Ramchandani

At a packed Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan hall in Andheri, Mumbai, where 300
committed audience came to launch of yearbook attenDance and film on
Guru Shishya Parampara plus ashtapadis performed by 3 seniors - Daksha
Mashruwala, Uma Dogra and Sandhya Purecha - plus one youngster Payal
Ramchandani doing Kuchipudi, it became evident how the flame continues
to burn. High aesthetics, low tom-toming showcased how seniors of the
Sin City, sorry, Maximum City, are doing their bit. In attendance was
also the generation of dancers who partook of the proceedings and
contributed significantly to our understanding of realities of dance
today. London-based Kathak talent Gauri Sharma Tripathy conducted the
evening with meaningful dialogue and depth. A total manotripti for all
involved. Mercifully lord Indira and Varuna stayed away! Daksha
Mashruwala through Kaishiki put this together and has compiled all those
Mumbai gurus and active dancers seen in the latest issue.
(www.attendance-india.com)

Baroda next and yet another group of real dance seniors headed by
understated Guru Pt. Harish Gangani shared concerns of dance teaching
today. A theme, next week Malavika Sarukkai in Delhi @ IIC took up and
elaborated further in Raza Foundation's Art Matters. At Natya Kala
Conference convened by Ananda Shankar Jayant, in 2008/9, I had first
used the term DANCE MATTERS. It is on record and proof there that before
that this combo and double entendre was never thought of or used in
this way. The starting point of a good idea sometimes gets forgotten.
Many are using it in other spheres, including India Matters! This is how
discourse takes shape. A good idea or word or terminology gains
currency. I remember in late 90s I had first used in my Times of India
column the phrase: fusion (dance) is often confusion... And that was
used and quoted by others so the thought travelled and continued.

At Art Matters forum created by Raza Foundation, Malavika spoke as well
as she dances and there was a certain flowering of Malavika Sarukkai
today. She seems less anxious to be perfect and proper as she was always
on stage and more involved with the meaning of dance itself. Dialoguing
with SAHAPEDIA'S Sudha Gopalakrishnan, Malavika justified the title
THINKING DANCER. She was honest in her assessment of her journey and her
struggles in negotiating those twists and turns in a nearly 40 year
dancing career. Her discourse was a discovery into the mind of a
star dancer.

Sudha Gopalakrishnan & Malavika
Sarukkai

Laxminarayan Jena

A day before that, a piquant situation arose when attenDance Delhi
launch was to happen but after Mumbai and Baroda (and Bangalore and
Chennai) no books were left! Mysore Nagaraj readily offered to share
Habitat Stein where his ace student Laxminarayan Jena was to dance. And
dance he did and how! This perfectly sculpted boy dancer has a genuinely
pleasing stage personality. Even if he is short and small built, thus
tries to stretch arms bit much to cover space, his dance has finish.
From the opening ode to Ganapati to concluding item comprising of all 4
ingredients and elements of Kathak, he showed his fine fettle. Jena is
an Odiya in Bangalore doing Kathak! See how Indian dance integrates.
Mysore Nagaraj's discourse is detailed, full of nuggets of historical
information and meaningful. He also curated and planned the evening well
because Jena has till now shown technical items mostly in short time
allotted in the past. Habitat gave him full show, a comfortable 90
minutes and both Guru and Shishya put their best foot forward.
Each item was well received because it was so well explained and
executed.

Dance discourse is also taking message far. Dancers are PLANNING
CONTENT. No more unplanned, unthought-of drivel. Most metros now offer
thematic content and context. While presenting groups, the main dancer
thinks of what might look good to audiences. Finally, audiences are the
king! For many years they were taken for granted and given any fare. Now
to get a hall full, either the artiste has to be a name or create hype
(recently an ordinary Odissi dancer of Bangalore with a pushy mother in
tow was sharing rehearsal videos of upcoming solo show, as though it was
some grand mega cast production in making) or collaborate with others
to get in their fans and family.

In all this, as Malavika Sarukkai asked: WHERE is the dance?

One look at Chinna Kala Nadam's festival for talents under 13 showed how
talented the next generation can be. Some at least. And how much damage
sub standard gurus can do. Mysore guru Chitra's Bharatanatyam
group had 3 strong and two weak dancers, Devjani Sen's Orissi student
uniformly lacked proper positions and finish. Can't the teacher see
that? Then too, one in purple costume had too much attitude while
one in brown very little stamina. Were they even under 13? Such
teachers ought to see and correct basic postures and positions because a
bad foundation spoils a youngster's chance to dance professionally
later in life. Devjani uses given music recorded perhaps by her Guru Ratikant's
stables so it is sharp and superb but her teaching and dancing by
students does not match or do justice.

Akshari

Pavanee

Photos: Srivatsa

What a fine, stable, poised 10 year old Akshari M proved to be, the
minute she entered the stage. This Kathak student of B.P. Sweekruth has
done her teacher proud. What clarity of structure. What fine execution.
Even the arch of her feet was well maintained. She is a potential talent
to watch. Pavanee next rolled in as a natural. Light of foot, she
undertook the teen taal composition with aplomb and authority. Nothing
about her was forced, even the smile was natural. A little focus on laya
would help. Her feet have strength and her face has joy, an important
combination for a budding professional dancer.

The Kuchipudi group rolled in like a train, tall ones in front, short at
the back, with last one totally impervious of the stage, looking for
her family in the audience! Why the teacher put short little ones in
back row, while hefty tall ones covered them visually in front, beats
me… A shrieky singer destroyed any beauty of the first item and second
was salvaged by joyous dancing by kids who loved to be on stage. Nadam
ought to audition students before presenting. Teachers also should see
their best student is put on stage, not all. Need more be said?

As it was a festival of, by, for kids, even the compering was done by
kids. 11 year old Aryaman as compere was excellent. He spoke each word
clearly and with effect. His smile made him a natural.

The author is a senior critic, historian with interest in cultural
policy, international exchange and helps dance in many ways. He edits
attenDance, now in its 20th year and mentors many.

Responses
*Ashish Mohan Khokar’s Trending had some points really well-made.
Unless the pupils have certain basic requirements like posture, sync,
etc, the teacher (I’ve
stopped calling everyone who teaches a guru!) shouldn't dare put them on
stage. Talented, the younger lot are, but not all as rightly said. A
little talent and loads of attitude- that's there for sure! As for
Kuchipudi, the less said the better. Except a handful, the rest have
made this art form into
a pathetic clone oscillating between Odissi and Bharatanatyam sans the
depth of either.
- Ranee Kumar (art critic, The Hindu, Delhi, July 21, 2017)

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